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Critterwings Illustration

@critterwings.bsky.social

110 followers 100 following 55 posts

Fantasy and nature illustrator (she/her) occasionally allowed time away from tending to her cats. Currently seeking representation Portfolio: https://stephaniesmith.com/ More links: https://stephaniesmith.com/links/

stephaniesmith.com

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Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 9

Happy #PortfolioDay :) I’m Stephanie, illustrator seeking work and an agent. I adore #fantasy and #natureart, and would love to illustrate books and games. I also bring my experience in design, UX, and #science comms.

stephaniesmith.com

#fantasyillustrator #kidlitillustrator #scbwiartist

Painting of a colorful jester hanging upside-down from a red strip of cloth wrapped around his legs, smiling with one arm reaching out towards the viewer. He is framed in a stone arched doorway with a heavy wooden door, with a brightly lit lush garden with trees behind him, in a scene reminiscent of the tarot's "Hanged Man" card.

Painting of a gaunt, pointed-eared woman wearing an elaborate gown with wing-like skirts and flowing veils, and a headdress with insect eyes, walking through the woods at dusk surrounded by red-eyed cicadas which seem to be swarming around her.

Ink and inkwash drawing of a squirrel being chased by a tiny gryphon with the head of a blue jay and the body of a tabby cat. A birdfeeder is in the background, with smaller birds flying away in panic.

Ink drawing with a small yellow dragon perched on a weathered gravestone, with a single rose at its base, in front of an overgrown forest.

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Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Sep 4

I'm happy to join @baltimoresteampunk.bsky.social at the Steampunk Soiree at the Lord Baltimore Hotel this Saturday night! Say hi if you're there!

In addition to my usual astrological and critter stickers, and dragony and tarot prints, I'll be bringing my Floral Alphabet notecards and prints.

Photo of a cream-colored notecard with a drawing of a pink lily and a letter "L", propped up with an envelope behind it.

Closeup photo of a drawing of a pink orchid with a letter "O" in front of it.

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Jul 2

This weekend I’ll be set up in the artists alley at #DEXLITE IN Morristown, NJ - July 3-6, 4 full days of tabletop, card games, and RPGs.

Stop on by and say hi! I may be taking on-site commissions, first come, first serve! #artistsalley #fantasyartist

tabletop.events/conventions/...

Artwork of a green, feathery dragon. Text reads “DEXLITE 2025 July 3-6 Morristown, NJ. Visit Critterwings in Artists’ Alley.”

Photo of a variety of fantasy-themed small prints, cards, and stickers including unicorns, dragons, tarot themes, and more.

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Jul 1

At last month’s workshop I started a new drawing, inspired by the homework prompt (and all the isekai I’ve been watching 😅) It went through a LOT of sketching & development - inc. ref. photos with the help of fellow attendees.

It still needs a few more tweaks before it’s ready to start inking.

Rough color thumbnail sketch of a confused dragon flying through a city

Photo of people posing dramatically in front of a green screen

Detailed digital sketch of a confused dragon flying through Times Square, as a crowd reacts

Final pencil sketch of a confused dragon flying through Times Square as a crowd reacts below

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Jul 1

Had an awesome time last month at the Fantasy Art Illustration Intensive - such a vibe with so many amazing artists! Big thanks to @jeffmiracola.com for organizing and the incredible instructors for their insight and energy.

(And 😘 ever-sparkly @labillustration.bluesky.social for the selfie!)

Photo of a large group of people standing in front of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design

Selfie of Stephanie Smith (Critterwings) and Lauren Brown

Photo of an art studio with several painters at work on humorous portraits, while others watch

Photo of an art studio where several people are working at tables in a variety of media

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Jun 17

See a Fox 🦊
Post a Fox 🦊

#Art #Fox

(This fox has a friend, may also be considered a fox? 😏)

Ink and watercolor painting of a woman in a yellow dress with flowers in her arms and hair, happily walking through a sunny forest with a red fox by her side.

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Jun 16

The stillness of the night was broken by chaos from the zoo…

It’s #Junicorn and I’m playing along with @ecraster combining as many of the #advancedjunicorn week 1 prompts into 1 image as I can 😁 Just a rough sketch so far - What do you think, should I finish it up?

#sketchbook #fantasyart

Drawing of various zoo animals running from a zoo gate in the night; a pair of children ride a unicorn running in front of them.

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · May 25

Looks like I’ll be busy this June… 😉🦄 #fantasyillustration #fantasyartist #junicorn

Elisabeth Craster Illustration @ecraster.bsky.social · May 15

I realize we're only halfway through #mermay. But some of us need lead time. This is my annual self-indulgence to scratch that #fantasy itch. Just as the Christmas merch creeps into the Halloween aisle, so too does #junicorn approach. #artprompts #narrativeart #conceptart

A fiery, mischievous-looking unicorn stares out at the viewer next to a 20 prompt list for #junicorn. 1. Ride Now! 2. Visit the Zoo. 3. Into the Night. 4. Dance with the Devil. 5. Survive a Disaster 6. Unlock the Door. 7. Escape the Labyrinth. 8. First day of school. 9. Ignored the Warning. 10. (Don't) Look Under the Bed 11. Follow that Cat! 12. ...That's Not a Unicorn. 13. Discover a Library. 14. Steal a Little Magic. 15. Defying Orders. 16. Bridge the gap. 17. Lose the Map. 18. Take Revenge. 19. Make a Friend. 20. Light a Fire.

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Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · May 25

I’m in! How much remains to be seen, lol, but it’ll be at least one 😉, gotta get some unicorn love (or terror, depending on how this goes…😉) 🦄

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · May 24

I’m all set up for the weekend at @balticon.bsky.social - come find me in Artists Alley, where I may be scribbling away in my sketchbook. I have some pieces in the art show as well, including a few older drawings and my recent Smaugust watercolors. #balticon #fantasyartist

Seven colorful watercolor painting portraits of different medieval people posed with small dragons.

A gallery wall with a variety of fantasy drawings and paintings, several featuring small dragons.

A booth stocked with colorful stickers and prints!

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · May 23

If you're heading to #Balticon this weekend, stop by the artists alley to say Hi!

I'll have my prints, cards, stickers, and few other fun things for sale. I'm also bringing a couple of my older pieces and a few recent paintings along for the art show, www.balticon.org

Photo of several different colorful prints and stickers, with various fantasy themes including unicorns, dragons, and people in colorful costumes.

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Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · May 1

I'm so happy to be returning to the HIVE artspace gallery in York PA! I have several paintings, prints, cards, and stickers in their "For the Love of Animals" May show. 20% of all my sales go to charity. ❤️😸

Opening event is May 2, 5-9pm during the King St. Night Market www.hiveartspace.com

poster artwork of a paper collage of a yellow cow running on a purple background. text reads: For the Love of Animals, May 2-31, 2025. Hive artspace, York PA. This exhibit helps animals! Special Event! First Friday 5-9 pm Veg party with Animal Advocates of So Central! Firefly Market, Food, Fun, and Prizes!

Print of an ink and watercolor painting of five different, realistic ants wearing colorful paint, ribbons and feathers, waving sticks in their mandibles.

Pile of colorful prints of ink and watercolor drawings of the chinese zodiac animals posing with red stones with their names written in chinese script, and also spelled out in english.

Six different die-cut stickers of realistic ink drawings of a tabby cat in various poses.

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 23

Here is the final art for #theWorld card I created for the upcoming #78Tarot Medieval deck. It’s not strictly #EarthDay themed, but it makes me think hopefully for the future.

#fantasyillustrator

Painting of a woman in a long orange ang green dress, and a wreath on her head, twirling, smiling, and raising her arms in a swirl of green leaves, on top of a mosaic floor in a compass pattern.

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 18

Have spent way too much of my life sketching horses, my mind horse is a bit too sassy for her own good.

Also had to play on “hard mode” by drawing on paper instead of digital and now am haunted by how small her face is oops 😅 #mindhorse #sketchbook

Ink line drawing of a horse prancing on brown paper

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Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 16

Oh, mine too! I ned a running start with anything mechanical 😅

I found it! www.gianlucagimini.it/portfolio-it... - so many of the “built” ones look almost-functional until you look closely LOL

Velocipedia - Gimini

www.gianlucagimini.it

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 16

I’d expect no less from you! ❤️

I recall an amazing project where someone asked random people to draw a bicycle from memory and then tried to “build” the results. They were… oddly unsettling.

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Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 16

Never enough art references!

AdorkaStock - Pose Reference for Artists @adorkastock.com · Apr 15

I have a very smol starter pack of resource accounts. It probably needs to be updated since I made it back when Bluesky was like half as active ❤️ Let me know if you're a resource provider and I will add!

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 16

Gotta love an animal-themed art share! I was just revisiting these ink and watercolor sketches of my elderly cat Tinkerbell from “Tinktober” a few years ago, some of which are now stickers.

She is sleeping in most of them because she hated being photographed SO much 😹 (and she was at least 18)

A pile of small drawings of the same brown tabby cat in various poses, most of them sleeping, drawn in ink and watercolor.

An assortment of die-cut stickers featuring realistic drawings of a brown tabby cat rendered in ink and watercolor in various poses, including several of it sleeping in a wooly cat bed.

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 16

Congratulations! It’s been awhile since I drew some owls, but I was just going through my files of animal art today so this was good timing! 😸

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 9

The time lapse for my Unicorn of Earth showing many of false starts ... drawn in #procreate and sped up by a LOT.

#wip #artistProcess #TimeLapse

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 9

For #NationalUnicornDay here’s my Elemental #Unicorns series, one for all 5 elements - Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Aether/Void.

You can also find them in my shop
www.redbubble.com/people/steph...

#fantasyillustrator #fantasyart

Drawing of a unicorn sitting in front of a rocky cave, with yellow flowers in its mane, with one hoof resting on a human skull

Montage of four images on unicorns, each posed behind a different setting: a dark purple silhouetted unicorn in a glowing space-like setting, a young colt flying though swirling clouds, a serene, long-maned unicorn standing in front of an icy waterfall, and an angry unicorn charging in front of a raging forest fire

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Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 9

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Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 9

Here are some work-in-progress from my current project: she will be "The World" card for an upcoming #tarot deck from #78tarot

Evolution from thumbnail sketch - one of several - to line drawing, to color flats, since I'm working digitally.
#tarotartist #fantasyillustrator

Drawing of a woman in an orange medieval style dress with green trim and wearing a flower garland in her hair, twirling her skirts over a tiled floor with a pattern of compass points and winged animals while leaves swirl in the air overhead.

Pencil and line sketch of a woman in a long dress twirling her skirts with an arm raised in the air.

Scribbly sketch of a woman in an orange long dress with green trim and wearing a leaf garland in her hair and holding a wand over her head, twirling her skirts over a decorated floor while leaves swirl in the air overhead.

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 8

How often is portfolio day? I’m trying to set myself reminders for all of these things so I can do some actual planning for a change of pace. 😅

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Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 7

Beautiful! I may have to go back to acrylics, it's been a loooooong time since I did more than dabble with them, and sometimes I don't have the energy to negotiate with my watercolors, LOL.

Critterwings Illustration @critterwings.bsky.social · Apr 7

If you see this, post your green art~💚🌿

Jumping the season a bit (spring is still sproinging in my area) but my Dragon of Summer is waiting in the wings! 🐉

Its part of a set of all 4 seasons, available in my shops, both of which are having sales right now 😉 critterwings.com

Colorful drawing of a smiling green dragon with a crest and tail of pink and purple feathers posed against a frame of yellow daisies and green leaves